NCAA Fight on Athlete Compensation Is Supreme Court Toss-Up (1)

The National Collegiate Athletic Association got a mixed reception at the U.S. Supreme Court as the justices debated a case that could loosen the NCAA’s hold over college sports and mean greater compensation for student-athletes.

Hearing arguments by phone Wednesday, some justices suggested they would reject the NCAA’s bid for a broad antitrust shield and back a lower court decision easing the association’s limits on education-related compensation. Justice Brett Kavanaugh said the antitrust laws “should not be a cover for exploitation of the student-athletes.”

But others said they worried that a ruling against the NCAA would undermine college sports, letting ...